Strange Currencies
by rhetoricfemme
Summary: Caught in the traipses of early adulthood, Takashi seeks comfort in old and familiar, yet sadly unexplored places.
1. Chapter 1

Ouran Highschool Host Club is owned by Bisco Hatori, not me.

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Music blared through her ears, and she continued to shake the last of the life out of the hi-lighter in her hand. Outside the storm raged strong, and the night promised to be full of nothing but thunder, lightning, and depositions. She wrapped the blanket around her shoulders a bit tighter, determined to forget nature's cacophony outside her door.

Two years out of law school, life was good. Simplistic and practical in her endeavors, Haruhi-the-up-and-coming-lawyer had secured herself a spot on a longstanding legal team. Quietly touting an undefeated record, Haruhi was passionate about her work, and showed no signs of slowing down. On top of it all, she had mapped out a plan that would ensure both hers and her father's financial futures. After this fact, she could imagine needing very little else.

Haruhi frowned as the crackling, invasive blue light flashed between the break in the lush, closed curtains. She sighed and picked up a picture frame sitting atop her bedside table. The frame's contents often left her with mixed feelings of warmth and wanting. The photo had been taken several years earlier, on the day of her high school graduation. Seven youths smiled back at her, most of them unaware of the complicated, though not always unpleasant world that awaited them all.

Running her fingers along the picture, she stopped to inspect the face of her younger self. Sandwiched between the twins, all three of them beamed for one another's accomplishments, and were accompanied in their exuberance by their four elder friends. Haruhi laughed, noticing that the moment had not even been lost on Kyouya, who now stood frozen in time, all smiles with an arm around Tamaki's shoulder.

Reluctantly, her eyes trailed onto the face of another part of their group, where she lingered and sighed.

_I never told you anything. I think I know how things could have been, and now more than anything… All I want to tell you is that I'm so sorry._

Taking a deep breath, Haruhi sat the photo aside in favor of her work. Adjusting the headphones, it took little time before she had reestablished concentration. She nearly missed the knock at her door, as it syncopated to the storm, as well as the music's beat. Tearing off her headphones, Haruhi stood slowly, wondering who would possibly think to visit so late at night.

Legal work had afforded her access to the most secure of living arrangements, and the worry she now felt stemmed less from her own well-being, and more for a potentially desperate neighbor. Steeling her nerve, she made haste for the front door.

Sliding open the lock, she jumped a little at the non-relenting storm. Pulling the door open, the loudness of the rain became a distant memory as she caught sight of the man looming in front of her. Hands jammed into his pockets and soaked all the way through, his face paled and morose against the tempestuous midnight.

"Takashi!"

He looked straight at her.

"Haruhi."

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Hello! So, yeah. I don't know how long this will end up being, but I don't think very long. You know how it is-potentially good stuff pops into your head, and you've just gotta write it down, and sometimes share!

Thanks very much for reading, and please know that your reviews are equally as appreciated! ;)


	2. Chapter 2

Though nothing short of desperation would have brought him to her door, Takashi remained outside. Haruhi grabbed him by the hand with the hope that leading him inside would help diminish the apologetic look across his face. The two stood quietly in the entryway, doing little more than looking at one another.

"Takashi?"

Nodding to indicate that he'd heard her, it was another moment before he could speak. Finally, he raised his eyes toward her, doing what he could to control the quavering voice that remained hesitantly in his throat.

"Haruhi. My father is dying."

Breath leaving her body, there was simply nothing else to say. Haruhi moved closer, ignoring the fact that he was drenched. Despite their significant difference in stature, Takashi clung to her sympathetic embrace, looking for the means to regain his center. His arms wrapped around her, and Haruhi stood decidedly straight. Rather than lean into his well-known frame, she wanted to be the one to pull him near, to be a source of comfort.

Before long they were interrupted by the ringing of Haruhi's phone. Doing her best to ignore it, Takashi let her go.

"Go. Take it."

Flashing him a regretful look, she walked toward the bedroom to retrieve the phone. Upon seeing an old familiar number across the screen, there was no hesitation in answering it, though she was not the first to speak.

"Haruhi, is he with you?"

"Yes…"

"Good. Ojisan isn't doing very well. Takashi didn't say anything. He just left."

Glancing in his direction, Haruhi watched as her friend slowly paced the front room.

"Is there anything I can do?"

"I think you're doing it right now, Haru-Chan." There was a short silence on the line. "We both miss you, you know?"

"I know. Me, too."

"Go be with Taka, now. I doubt he'll stay long."

"I can do that."

"Haru-Chan?"

"Yes?"

"Let's have lunch tomorrow."

Understanding this to be more of a fact than a request, Haruhi nodded into the now-dead receiver before hanging up. Turning around, she headed back toward Takashi.

"Mitskuni?"

"Yeah." Haruhi smiled. While she had not expected much different, it was a relief to know that the two cousins were still looking out for one another.

Having little to offer in the way of dry clothes, she asked if he might stay for tea. Shaking his head, Takashi declined her invitation while reaching for the door.

"I'm sorry for this. I just… Got sick of everyone else."

"Well, it seems that you know where I am if you need me."

"Ah."

A spattering of rain entered the home as Takashi prepared to exit. Only then did his considerable trek cross Haruhi's mind.

"Takashi?"

"Hn?"

"You took a car here, didn't you?"

"I did."

"Then why are you so wet?"

Shifting his weight from one foot to the other, Takashi gave her a shrug while considering his answer.

"It took a while before I knew whether or not I'd like to come inside."

With a weak smile, he wished Haruhi goodnight, and closed the door.


	3. Chapter 3

The brevity of hers and Mitsukuni's conversation left Haruhi mostly certain in which direction she should go. As the typical lunch hour approached, she found herself seated for tea in a long-since-visited Tokyo café. Having taken a personal day, she paid little attention to the time, and was content to become lost in thought until her company's arrival.

Uncertain of what sort of afternoon was about to unfold, the irony was not lost on Haruhi that her current source of concentration stemmed from the scent attached to last night's camisole, which she now wore beneath a cardigan.

After years of drifting apart and months without any contact, she was unable to prevent her hopes from experiencing a pique from the previous night's visit. Knowing that both common sense and decency were working against her, she expected nothing more than to reconcile a friendship that she had allowed to fall apart. An old friend was grieving, Haruhi told herself, and it was not unusual for such a person to seek out unorthodox comforts in times like these.

It was easier to admit that she had never ceased wanting Takashi. After some time, Haruhi was also able to live with the idea that he would eventually marry another, if he had not done so already. She had forced herself to reconcile these facts, not only to move forward, but in order to one day be happy for whatever good future awaited him. Momentarily setting logic aside, she chose to believe that only good and honest things could happen to a man such as Takashi.

_Why then, is his father ill? Why did he come all the way out to my doorstep, not even certain if he would come inside? Am I going to see him ag—_

"Haru-Chan!"

Putting her worries away, Haruhi allowed the years-old greeting to bring her back in time. She smiled as a pair of arms pulled her into a hug from behind.

Taking a seat across from her, his smile was full of warmth. Time had been kind to the Haninozuka heir, who had finally caught up to his peers in stature. His voice, still playful, had settled into an attractive, lightly masculine tone. As Haruhi had expected, he came to their meeting alone.

"Mitsukuni! How are you? How is Reiko-Chan?"

"We've been well! What about you, Haru-Chan? Every now and then when one of our partner's indiscretions shows up, I occasionally hear your name…"

She laughed and nodded as he threw her a wink.

"Indeed, work has been busy, to say the least."

"The very least! It's no wonder we never visit anymore."

"I'm so sorry, Mitsukuni. Really, there is no good excuse, is there?"

As much as he wanted to enjoy a simple good time and reminisce, Mitsukuni realized in the future they would have none of that if this current meeting did not engage them in a heart-to-heart.

"Maybe not excuses, Haru-Chan. But there are reasons."

She nodded.

"If we're here now, I assume he came back home last night. Is Takashi okay?"

"I think so. Despite everything going on right now, in his own way, Taka might be better than ever."

Haruhi raised an eyebrow at the notion. The man she had abruptly found in her doorway gave her little indication of being fine.

"How so?"

"Well, right now my Uncle Akira is at home, waiting out the end of his fight with cancer."

"Mitsukuni…"

"It's okay, Haru-Chan. It's been awful, and sad, but he's ready. Morinozukas are brave men, and up until his latest prognosis, my uncle fought all he could. Now all that is left is the waiting."

"Yeah. I understand that... How long?"

Mitsukuni gave a shrug.

"I don't think my uncle is hiding. He's lived a good life with a woman he loves, been his own boss, and enjoyed raising two great boys. When he tries to smile for his family, he's not merely putting on a face. I think seeing that has changed Takashi."

"In what way?"

"I think he's done trying to please people, Haru-Chan. He's been biding his time as a lawyer for a few years now, but soon he'll be transitioning into a position as the head of his family. He took a leave of absence a few months ago when his father got sick, which was expected. What no one saw coming, though, was him breaking off his engagement with Ume."

"Ume…"

This last piece of information came as a real surprise to Haruhi. Having met her several times in the past, she remembered Ume as being a pleasant woman. Kind and sociable, she appeared to provide a balance to Takashi's quiet and pensive nature. Even Haruhi could see that she would have made a good wife.

"Haru-Chan, we've always been able to say anything to each other, right?"

"We have."

"Then tell me why when I ask Takashi what happened between the two of you, he only responds by saying, 'Nothing.'"

"In the most literal sense, I'd have to say that he was right. I messed up, and then nothing happened between the two of us."

Taking a deep breath, Haruhi took a moment to think his question over.

"Once we got back from Boston, Tamaki and I got engaged. Of course, as retrospect would have it, that was a pretty bad idea. Honestly, I think the two of us knew it even then. I mean, Tamaki is fantastic, and deserves the best. But I think we were more in love with the idea of each other than we actually were with each other. Does that make sense?"

Mitsukuni nodded, giving her an understanding smile, and Haruhi went on.

"The worst part of it was getting comfortable with the notion of such a long engagement. If we were serious, we would have married each other at the beginning of it all. Instead, we used each other as security blankets while the rest of you moved on with your lives."

It almost seemed ridiculous to her, now. Several years of living alone had served to rub it in Haruhi's face that succumbing to insecurity had left her lacking the very companionship she had been looking for.

"Anyway, Tamaki and I broke up when it became difficult to pretend that I wasn't… Distracted."

"Ah."

Despite the heavy moment, Mitsukuni's airy voice combined with his choice of word brought the two of them to laughter. Trying to regain herself, Haruhi cleared her throat and sighed.

"I suppose I owe you an apology, too, Mitsukuni."

"Oh?"

"We used to be very close, and I ruined that."

"But that's—"

"I acted like a coward. It wasn't long after he became engaged to Ume that things ended with Tamaki. That was also when him distancing himself began. For too long, I sat in the wrong relationship, overanalyzing everything while too afraid of being the one to ruin any friendships. It must have been too much, knowing that he asked for another woman's hand in marriage at the same time that I had finally come to my senses. I don't blame him."

"It's okay, Haru-Chan. I still love you!"

For as lousy as the present situation had made Haruhi feel, his sincere words of friendship and affection were a salve to her soul. Mitsukuni's propensity to love and give insight were still very much a part of his charm.

"I don't know what happens now, Haru-Chan. But if you ask me, Takashi came to you because regardless of everything, he knows and trusts you. As far as Ume is concerned, even I was surprised. But I know Takashi isn't being fickle or restless. If they had married, he would be a devoted husband, except I know he wasn't in love with her. I think now that our families are facing a major loss, and the fact that he's about to become his family's head, Taka is trying to hold himself accountable. He's not about to take on such a serious responsibility when he hasn't done everything he can to be honest with himself and pursue his own desires."

Before Haruhi could reply, two plates of strawberry cheesecake had been placed in front of them. Throwing her a wide grin, fork in hand, Mitsukuni indicated to her that the heavy part of their lunch date was officially over.

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_Tamaki dragged Kyouya by the arm, bantering to him about his newfound duties as a best man while exiting from Music Room Three's heavy, mahogany doors. Haruhi followed close behind, until she received a light clap on the shoulder. Doing his best to manage the frustrated smile on his face, Hikaru pulled her in for a still too-tight hug._

_"It's great, Haruhi. Really! Hopefully someday I'll be able to marry a woman like you."_

_"Better than me, Hikaru."_

_He laughed, "We'll see…"_

_Leaving her behind, he skipped ahead to find his brother. Haruhi went along, passing through the doorway while Takashi walked alongside her._

_"It wouldn't be good enough."_

_"Senpai?"_

_Upon speaking, the two of them came to a pause._

_"However wonderful she may be, it would be much better to wait for you."_

_Takashi walked off down an opposite hallway before she had a chance to respond._

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While I'm happy with this chapter, I didn't anticipate it being so dialogue-heavy. I'd love it if you left me any comments or criticism you may have, and as always, I hope you enjoyed it! Thanks for reading!


	4. Chapter 4

_His entire body grew tense as he listened for the words that would determine his next movement. Scanning the scene in front of him, Takashi remained expectant and poised, and allowed his memory to do the work._

_"So spring ends—"_

_Instinct took over, and within seconds his reward had been caught beneath his hand._

_Haruhi grinned as Takashi, disappointed, loosened his grip. His heart sank at the difficult, yet voluntary withdraw of his own hand from the top of hers. With a playful smile, she flashed him a glimpse of the card he had tried so stealthily to attain._

_"Sorry, Senpai. Looks like you lost this one!"_

_Working to maintain a calm and stoic face, Takashi nodded before correcting Haruhi on his name. He was not about to allow a fresh relationship with another man rob him of hearing his proper name at the end of her lips. She could at least give him that. Realizing that they each considered the other a close friend, it was not lost on Takashi that she held onto formalities in a weakened attempt to forget that between them, something else was indeed there._

_He lost his chance after waiting too long. At this point, Haruhi using his God-given name was something to be insisted upon._

_._

The sound of her footsteps echoed across the polished wood floor. She walked slowly in order to dampen the noise, quietly making her way toward the light coming from beneath the still faraway door. The accent of steady movement could be heard throughout the dojo, which stood mostly in darkened silence.

Reaching the door, Haruhi gave a light knock to indicate her presence. She walked inside to find Takashi seated at a table, sword in hand. Tightening the leather grip, he nodded in acknowledgment of her before picking up a towel, rubbing the sword with oil.

Pulling up a chair, Haruhi sat beside him.

"Did you practice this morning?"

"No. Once a week I clean my father's swords."

"I see. How are you?"

"Okay."

Searching his words for signs of upset, Haruhi could find nothing as Takashi offered slow, confident replies.

"I saw Mitsukuni yesterday."

"I know. He told me you said, 'hi.'"

She smiled and nodded, at which point Takashi set down the sword, allowing a short smile of his own.

"Haruhi, I'm sorry for showing up out of nowhere."

"I'm not, although I am sad for the circumstances."

"He's not even gone yet, but I already miss my father."

"I know."

Though years had gone by, Haruhi hated to recognize the sentiment, and the fact that someone she loved was now going through it. In the wake of illness, the first loss would always be comfort and routine, exchanged for bedside vigils and meetings with doctors. It involved a sacrifice not only of one's time and emotions, but also the remainder of formerly personal headspace.

Takashi nodded, motioning to the room around them.

"I know where to go to find quiet. I went to you to find solace."

Unable to hide her surprise, Haruhi proceeded in the conversation a bit nervously, although she could think of very few ways left for her to let him down.

"Solace… Did you find it?"

"I think so."

"Hm."

Turning his chair to face her directly, Takashi took her by the hand while looking her directly in the eye.

"Haruhi. You don't owe me any explanations, and you never have. Please don't be offended, but I want to ask if you have ever, in the entirety of our friendship, ever lied to me."

Finding the question uncharacteristic and odd, she almost did not know how to respond, and went with a simple shake of the head. He offered an embarrassed grin in reply.

"I'm sorry. I know. And I know that no matter how hard it may be, you would never lie to me out of good intentions. You will always be honest with me, no matter what. Right?"

"Of course. Taka—"

"For a long time, I thought you were the only thing I would want. That's not true, anymore."

_My heart knows better, but my mind keeps telling me to somewhat be insulted…_

"I want my father to know that I am more than just content. I need him to know I have ahead of me the same kind of happiness that he's had. He worked too hard on me, and knows I will make him proud. He also deserves to see that I did not sell my heart short, either."

"Takashi. I don't doubt that your father deserves this. But do you understand that you deserve to have it for yourself, as well?"

"Now, more so than ever. "

Minutes passed by while they sat together, a burdensome hush throughout the air. Still holding onto her, he breathed inward and prepared to break the silence.

"Haruhi?"

"Takashi?"

"Will you marry me?"

The question hung between them as she buried her face in her hands, succumbing to tears.

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Hello! Thank you muchly for reading. You're awesome! If it pleases you, let me know what you think. ;)

If you were confused by what was going on in the first part of this chapter, the flashback, I'll fill you in.

In Japan, there is a card game called Karuta. To paraphrase from good 'ol Wikipdedia: "The basic idea of any karuta game is to be able to quickly determine which card out of an array of cards is required and then to grab the card before it is grabbed by an opponent...There are two kinds of cards used in karuta. One kind is yomifuda or "reading cards", and the other is torifuda or "grabbing cards." As they were denoted, the words in the yomifuda are read and players will have to find its associated torifuda before anybody else does...In "uta-garuta", players try to find the last two lines of a tanka given the first three lines. It is often possible to identify a poem by its first one or two syllables."


	5. Chapter 5

Two days had blurred away since Takashi's proposal. For Haruhi, it was simple taking care of the details at hand. The troublesome part came in wrapping her mind around how in less than a week she had gone from denying the invisible lamentations of her past, to becoming a married woman.

She had sobbed after his request for her hand in marriage, as she attempted to reconcile one emotional extreme with another. It broke her heart to know that their timing was being determined by the impending loss of her father-in-law. She was angry for not having her mother by her side.

Despite it all, Haruhi was drowning in exaltation for having gained what would be a tremendous love. Her mind was soothed for not having to plan an extravagant wedding, though her chest ached with the knowledge that sooner or later she would be Takashi's support system as he mapped out a funeral.

For the time being, she shoved all uneasiness out of her head. Putting aside her worries for tomorrow's grief, Haruhi decided to remain thankful for the opportunity to trade a lifetime of apologies for a world of unending declarations of love.

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Their morning in the dojo had passed, and before midday plans were being made with a strange, yet delightful sense of urgency. Upon reaching the Morinozuka family home, visiting with his father had been Takashi and his fiancé's first order of business. Akira smiled warmly as he shared in what for him seemed like expected news.

"Takashi, go find your cousin. I'd like to talk to my new daughter alone."

Giving his father a small bow, Takashi made his exit, quietly shutting the door. With only the two of them left in the room, Haruhi found herself short on words as she looked Akira's way. Though he managed to keep the mood light, the man in front of her appeared as if he had not gotten any sleep in years.

Patting a chair next to the bed, he motioned for her to come closer. Obliging his request, she took to the chair, and the older man gingerly picked up her hand.

"Haruhi, will you keep me company for a while?"

She smiled. "For as long as you like."

"Thank you. You know, we've been waiting a long time for you to join this family. It pleases me greatly to see you here."

Squeezing his hand gently, Haruhi nodded. "I hope you'll forgive me for stepping away for so long."

"Oh, child. There is nothing to be forgiven. It's just life. But here you are now."

Chatting for quite some time, Akira and Haruhi's meeting was eventually interrupted by a knock at the door.

"Ah. That would be a hospice nurse. I'm afraid I'll need to excuse myself for now."

Haruhi stood as he gesticulated toward the door. Despite his upbeat manner and the fact that he had driven their conversation, the man who now lay in bed looked every bit as tired as his illness determined he should be. She chose to ignore the obvious signs, addressing him as she would anybody else.

"I'm glad we talked, Akira-Sama. I look forward to the next time. Thank you."

"Me too, my dear."

Turning to leave, he beckoned to her once more. "Haruhi. Promise me that you won't let Takashi take himself too seriously."

Recalling the early days of friendship with Takashi, she remembered the young man who carried around stray animals, and ran his cousin around markets in shopping carts. She summoned to mind the boy whose hardened sense of tradition held him at fault for the poor decisions of others. She imagined what sort of resolve he had developed in their time away from one another.

Placing her hand once again in Akira's, Haruhi met his now serious gaze with her own. "This entire time being away from your son, I don't think I ever stopped thinking or worrying about him. Believe me when I tell you that I'll always be certain to take care of him."

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_Flickering candlelight brought an intimacy to the large room, where the focus shifted away from sadness for the day. Pieces of medical equipment that while sparse, were always foreboding shrank into the background._

_All attention was centered upon the young couple tasting sake while standing at the foot of the bed. Walking around the side, Takashi's new bride passed him one of the cups, which he raised to his father's lips. The ailing man gave a smile before indicating for his son to pass the cup along to his mother and father-in-law._

_No procession or change of outfits, no feasts or toasts, the wedding had been pared down to the barest of rites, traditions, and essentials. Unable to leave his bed, Akira was kept company by the now unified families, who he led in prayer as Takashi and Haruhi went on their way._

_Akira's voice, though weak, projected his pride. He threw a wink toward Haruhi, who smiled while glancing over her shoulder at him. The smile was the first of its kind. She wore it well into the night, where she and Takashi became acquainted with a version of happiness that could never have existed outside of one another._

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And now this story is finished! I'm normally content to just to be done writing something, but this time I'm really interested to know-**how did you like it?** I enjoyed it, but this one came to me on such a whim that part of me wonders if I allowed my writing of Haruhi to come out of character, which I try my best not to do.

I'm really glad that you kept on reading, and essentially, that is enough for me. But if you'd please, it'd mean very much if you could review me on this one. Thanks again, and as always, I hope you enjoyed!


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